Seed-agitating device for drills.



No. 761,851` PATENTED JUNE '7, 1904.

P. w. SCHWAB. SEED AGITATING DEVICE FOR DRILLSV,

APPLICATION FILED kFHB. 12. 1904. I0 HODEL.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 761,851. PATENTED JUNE. 7, 1904.

P. W.- SCHWAB. l

SEED AGITATING DEVICE FOR DRILLS v APPLIQATION FILED rma. 1a. 1904.

no norm.. 2 sums-snm 2.

No. 761,851.V

UNITED STATES Patented June 7, 1904.

lPATENT OFFICE.

MONITOR DRILL COMPANY, OF CORPORATION OF MINNESOTA.

ST. LOUIS PARK, MINNESOTA, A

SEED-AGITATINGbEvICE FOR DRILLs.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 761,851, dated June 7,1904.

Application filed February 12, 19(14. Serial No. 193,229. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I,PETER W. SCHWAB, a citizen ofthe United States,residing at St. Louis Park,'in the county of Hennepin and State ofMinnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSeed-Agitating Devices for Drills; and I do hereby declare the follow-`ing to be a full, clear', and exact description of the Ainvention, suchas will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tornake`and use the same.

My present invention has for its object toI provide an improved devicefor agitating and stirring up the seed or grain within the Seed box orhopper of a grain-drill; and to this end it consists of the noveldevices and combinations of devices hereinafter described and deiined inthe claims.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein likecharacters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Figure 1 is a view in rear elevation with some parts broken away,showing part of a grain drill having applied thereto my improvedagitating device. Fig. 2 is a View, principally in plan, with some partssectioned and others broken away, showing the parts illustrated inFig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side elevation ofthe parts shown in Fig. 1 lookingat the same from the right toward the left; and Fig. 4 is a transversevertical section on the line mi m4 of-Fig. 1, some parts being removed.`

The numeral 1 indicates one of thewheels,

the numeral 2 the axle, the numeral 3 the seedv box or hopper, and thenumeral 4 the corrugated or grooved seed-discharging cylinders of anordinary grain-drill. The plurality of seed-discharging cylinders 4 aredriven in the Y usual way directly by an angular shaft 5, which in turnisrotated in the usual or any suitable way and by means forming no partof this invention. Seed-cups 6, which communicate with the bottom of thehopper 3 in the usual way, inclose the respective feed-cylinders 4 andcooperating parts.`

In carrying out my invention I preferably run a long thrust-rod 7transversely of the machine and longitudinally of and through the lowerportion of the hopper or box A3, said thrust-rod being provided withsuitable bear ings in the ends'of the said box or hopper.

.Within the hopper 3 the thrust-rod 7 is provided with aplurality ofsets of agitating-iingers 8, 9, 9a, and 10. There are as Inany sets ofthese fingers as there are cups, 6, and one of the agitating-fingers 10depen-ds into each cup 6, with its lower end terminating very close tothe corresponding feed-cylinder 4. The agitating-ingers 8, 9, and 9 allproject within the hopper 3; but one of the lingers 9 quite closelyoverlies each of the said feed-cylinders 4. At its projecting right-handend the thrust-V rod 7v is preferably provided with a socket-l like head11, which holds an antifriction-ball 12, the outer portion of which isexposed. A coiled spring 13 on the outer end of the thrust-rod 7 iscompressed between the head 11 and the adjacent end of the hopper 3 andtends to hold said thrust-rod in an extreme position toward the right,movement in that direction being limited by a suitable stop, shown asafforded by a pin14 on said rod, which engages with the right-hand endof the hopper 3. To intermittently vibrate the thrust-rod 7 toward theleft, I pivot a cam-plate 15 to a bracket 16, which is carried by thewheel 1. As shown, this bracket 16 is a divided bracket and isdetachably clamped by abolt 17 to one of the spokes of the said wheel 1in position to engage the ball 12 under each rotation of the wheel 1 inthe direction indicated'by the arrow marked on Fig. 3. In Fig; 2 thesaid cam-plate is shown as thus engaged with the said ball 12, so as toforce the thruSt-rod7 against the tension of the spring 13 into itsextreme position toward the left, and it is of course evident that assoon as the said cam-plate passes forward out of engagement with thesaid ball the spring 13 will be released and will throw the thrust-rod 7and its agitating-iingers violently toward the right and that thismovement of the said rod will be broughty to a sudden stop by theengagement ofV the collar 14 with the adjacent l l end of the hopper.This sudden stoppage of the movement of the agitating-rod produces a jaror vibration which Is highly eiIicient 1n stirring or loosening up thegrain or seed in the lower portion of the hopper and in the several cupsthereof. lVith reference to Fig. 2 it will be noted that when thecam-plate 15 is thrown into action on the ball 12 it engages as a stopwith the hub of the bracket 16, and it will of course be understood thatas the said cam-plate is carried upward into a position for action onthe said ball it will by gravity fall backward into engagement with thehub of the bracket. It is also evident that when the machine is runbackward the said camplate will freely swing forward into the positionindicated by dotted linesr in Fig. 3, and hence will not operate uponthe said ball.

In the illustration given in the drawings l have shown the wheel asprovided with three supporting-brackets 16 and a corresponding number ofpivoted cam-plates 15, so that the thrust-rod 7 will be acted upon threetimes under each rotation of the wheel.

By actual use of the seed-agitating device above described I havedemonstrated its @Hiciency.

From what has been said it will of course be understood that the devicedescribed is capable of modification within the scope of my invention asherein set forth and claimed.

1V hat 1 claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is as follows:

1. ln a machine of the character described, the combination with aseed-hopper and feed devices for delivering the grain therefrom, of anagitating device comprising an endwisemovable agitating-rod, providedwith agitating-{ingers located within said hopper, a positive stopintercepting the movement of the rod in one direction, a spring tendingto maintain engagement between said rod and stop, and a wheel-drivencam-plate arranged to intermittently act upon said rod to move the sameagainst its spring, and then suddenly release the same, and permit saidspring to throw the said rod against the said stop, suhstantially asdescribed.

2. In a machine of the character described, the combination with afeed-hopper having a plurality of cups and seed-discharging deviceswithin said cups, of a thrust-rod having a plurality ofagitating-lingers working within said hopper and within the cupsthereof, a spring yieldingly forcing said thrust-rod in one directionagainst a stop, and a pivoted cam-plate carried by one of the wheels andoperating on the projecting end of said rod to force the same, againstthe spring and then suddenly release the same and which caniplate underbackward movement of the wheel turns into an inoperative position,substantially as described.

3. In a machine of the character described, the combination with aseed-hopper having a plurality of cups and a plurality ofseed-discharging devices working within said cups, of a thrust-rodhaving a plurality of agitatinglingers working within said hopper andwithin the cups thereof, a spring forcing said rod in one directionagainst a stop, an anti friction device mounted in the projecting end ofsaid thrust-rod, and a cam-plate carried h v one el the wheels andintermittently engageahle with said antifriction device of saidthrust-rod, to move said thrust-rod against the tension of its springand then suddenly release the saine, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof l aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

PETER. \V. SUIHVAB.

Witnesses:

Louis W. FULLni-i, E. R. HArns.

